Conversing Across the Gap: An Meeting Between Different Perspectives
Introducing the Participants
First Participant: Peter, 34, from London
Occupation Former civil servant, now a student studying community health
Voting record Supported the Green Party recently (and a affiliate of the political group); formerly Labour Party. Identifies as “left, and globalist instead of patriotic”
Amuse bouche A sketch of a teacup Peter did as a kid was once displayed in the Irish National Gallery
Second Participant: Akshat, 43, Harrow
Occupation Risk manager in the construction sector
Voting record Originally from India, Akshat has lived in the United Kingdom for half a decade, and voted Conservative. Describes himself as “somewhat moderate right”
Amuse bouche He taught himself to read and write the Urdu language. “I have no use for it, I simply found it intriguing”
For starters
The first participant During the past two decades, I have resided and been employed in Qatar, South Korea, the United States. The topics Peter and I discussed are focused on Britain, but they are also universal, because people's lives largely evolve similarly across the world. I was expecting a staunch liberal, but he was quite measured – we had a good, rational discussion. I had a couple of beers, Peter had mojitos.
The second participant We shared appetizers – seafood rolls, dumplings, radish cakes with sprouts, which were superb. I was a little nervous, as I believe he was too. Would he criticize me for being a snowflake? We’re both immigrants. My childhood was in Dublin; I have resided in the United States and the Iberian Peninsula. We connected through our affection for the capital.
Key disagreements
Akshat I look at migration similar to adding salt to a meal. With a small amount, the dish tastes wonderful. Add too little or too much and the meal is either too bland or too salty.
The second participant He used an analogy regarding salt. It would be odd to exist if the government was selecting some ideal ethnic makeup of the country.
Akshat There are, sadly, people fleeing persecution, but a lot of people arriving in the United Kingdom are economic migrants who may not contribute much and can burden the welfare system. Nobody forces you to go to a different nation for prospects, so you should only go if you can take care of yourself and your family.
The second participant We became confused with some of the facts. In my view it’s like you come over and work and then following a half-decade you get indefinite leave to remain. No process is guaranteed. The climate has been unwelcoming for some time, visa fees are quite expensive, you pay an NHS surcharge, eligibility for support is restricted. The red carpet isn’t rolled out for anyone. And concerning the recent changes, whereby you can’t bring your family over, it’s incredible to say: we want your work, but we don’t want you. I believe we must maintain a certain level of humanity.
Common ground
Akshat Peter questions unchecked capitalism. I am, too, but simultaneously, economic growth benefits society and ought to be promoted.
Peter We’re both internationalist. And we agreed that some parts of the community – politics, the media – thrive off creating conflict. We did find shared understanding in fundamentals and ethics.
Dessert and debate
The first participant Peter believes that since the United Kingdom profited from the colonial era, it ought to provide compensation to affected nations. I simply think: it is unfair to assess the past with present day morality; times are different, modern people were not responsible of what happened 50 or 100 years ago. Let’s say the UK had to compensate India, it would be a significant sum of funds. Is Britain able to do that? No.
Peter Until recently, I believe there was much reckoning with colonial history. As an instance, upon my arrival to the UK, the public weren’t aware of the Irish famine and the part that colonialism played in it. I hold that decolonisation isn’t just about signing a cheque, it ought to involve examining what went wrong and our current responsibilities.
Takeaways
The first participant It may not alter the my perspective, but I understand Peter’s concerns. I converse with individuals every day whose views are opposite to my own. The goal is uniting people to the same page, in order that everyone can work towards the betterment of society.
Peter We were there for 150 minutes. He enjoyed a sweet treat and I drank some sweet Japanese wine. I didn’t persuade him of any point, but we each liked the meal, so we might become more open to engaging in dialogues with other people in future.
